


Fever

by Misty_Reeyus



Category: Tales of Vesperia
Genre: Family, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-04
Updated: 2016-06-04
Packaged: 2018-07-12 06:45:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7089880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Misty_Reeyus/pseuds/Misty_Reeyus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A single word, and an unwitting Karol brings Raven to his knees.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fever

**Author's Note:**

> prompt: raven & karol, caring for each other while ill

It isn’t until Karol yawns conspicuously beside him that Raven looks up from his clipboard of paperwork, quirking an amused brow at the sight that greets him. Karol’s eyes flutter shut as his head falls limp against the bed headboard, and his meal lies unfinished on the tray in his lap—the steamed egg is only halfway done and the porridge looks practically untouched. The fact that Karol’s having dinner in bed probably isn’t doing him any favors in terms of staying awake, but Raven wasn’t about to let Karol exert himself unnecessarily when the kid’s forehead was hot and he was sniffling twice per minute.

“Hey now,” Raven pipes up, mock-offended. “Leavin’ my food out to dry? I know I can’t cook nearly as well as yer guildmates, but that _hurts_.” Taking care of Karol would be a lot easier if his guildmates were here to help, actually, but since Yuri and Judith are in the middle of a scouting mission in Weccea, they won’t be able to make it back for at least a couple days.

Karol immediately springs back into alertness, vigorously shaking his head. “N-no, I’m eating it!” he gasps, voice still scratchy and somewhat strained. He quickly shoves another spoonful of egg into his mouth as if to prove it.

Raven smirks, gently bumping Karol’s shoulder with his own. “I’m kidding. If you wanna pass out, you should. I can just heat this all back up later.”

Setting his clipboard on the bedside table, Raven gets up from his chair to grab the tray. Karol sluggishly nods in acquiescence, so Raven takes it back down to the kitchen, and when he returns to Karol’s room, the boy is already laid down beneath the bedsheets. Raven smiles as he approaches, then pulls the blankets all the way up to his chin.

Karol pouts a little but Raven pays him no mind. Kid’s sick and he’s getting pampered whether he wants it or not.

“You good?” Raven asks.

“Mmmm,” Karol hums, shifting onto his side and shutting his eyes. Raven chuckles and takes that to mean yes.

“Righty then. Sleep tight, kid.”

Raven reaches for his clipboard with every intention of snatching it up and heading out—he’s no use to a kid who’s out and he should probably get this paperwork back to Altosk—but a hand tugging at his sleeve stops him in his tracks.

“Don’t go,” Karol murmurs, eyes still closed, voice soft and quiet and a little slurred from fatigue. “Dun wanna be alone.”

Raven bites his lip. Karol’s already got a foot in dreamland by the looks of it, so he probably wouldn’t even notice if Raven left in a few minutes. Not to mention, Raven’s gonna catch hell if the guys at Altosk find out he spent the night over at the rival guild. Again.

But…Raven can’t say no to the kid.

“…I ain’t going anywhere. Promise.” To prove it, Raven sits back down in his chair, then pats Karol’s head reassuringly. “Just get your rest, okay?”

“’kay,” Karol mumbles, his hand letting go to hang limply over the side of the bed. “Thanks Dad.” 

Raven instantly freezes up.

If Karol realizes what he said, he doesn’t show it, still perfectly relaxed as he drifts off to sleep. But Raven can’t relax, he can’t act as if he didn’t hear that _perfectly_ , he can’t stop the way something stutters and jumps in his chest because he’s never heard Karol call him that before.

Raven hears more than feels the clipboard slip out of his hand and onto the floor, but thankfully, it does nothing to disturb the boy who’s clearly already out cold. Something prickles at Raven’s eyes and he quickly blinks it away, digs his palms into his eye sockets as if plugging a leak. He tells himself that Karol was out of it when he said that—hell, probably half-delirious from fever, really—but that does nothing to stop how the word rings on repeat in his head.

_Dad._

Raven has to take a minute before he can force himself to get a grip again, rubbing away the slight wetness beneath his hands to get another good look at the kid who just never stops surprising him. Raven gently nudges Karol’s loose arm back up onto the mattress, doing his best not to jostle the peaceful sleeper, and hides a ridiculously sappy grin behind his hand.

“…Sure, ” Raven responds finally, even knowing Karol can’t hear. His voice is some strange, soft hybrid of a laugh and a sob, flattered and overwhelmed and a little unsure but also so so very _happy_. “Anytime, son.”


End file.
